The Tetris Company says it was not involved in the White House game ‘Build the Wall’

The Tetris Company has distanced itself from ‘Build the Wall’, a game published in the White House’s online arcade. The company made the statement on Instagram.

In the Tetris-style game, players stack tetrominoes that do not clear while zombies move toward the blocks. Its theme refers to the US “Southern Border” and a “zombie border siege.”

Tetris rights holder responds

The company said it was not involved in making ‘Build the Wall’. It also warned: “We take copyright infringement very seriously.”

The Tetris Company said it believes in connection and bringing people together rather than dividing them, and thanked its fans for their support.

The game appeared in the White House arcade alongside versions of Snake and Flappy Bird. The report also cites other uses of well-known game imagery by the US government, including Pokémon, Halo, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto.

The Tetris Company is among the rights holders to object to the use of gaming intellectual property in this context. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto called the appropriation of his work “absolutely abhorrent”, while The Pokémon Company said permission had not been granted for use of its intellectual property.